To retrain as a teacher at (just turned) 50?

[MyPearlCrow]

Just that really. I was a solicitor/partner in a law firm for my first career but burned out /got bored and cynical, so gave it up. luckily we can afford for me not to work which I realise is such a privilege.

I volunteer in a primary school now several days a week and essentially do an unpaid TA role. Here, TAs here are essentially teachers without all the planning/prep/responsibility, as in they actively teach the curriculum to small groups of children. They are highly skilled.

I have considered being a TA. I have been offered a paid role at my current school. But I’m still considering my options and it’s desperately badly paid. And all the TAs here are technically over qualified (all degree educated, or ex teachers, but don’t want the ridiculous workload of a teacher; entry requirement for TA role in England is just passes in gcse English maths and science) but they are paid peanuts. But it’s such a rewarding role and I love it. I think I could really add value.

Complete honesty here: I also realise that I’m used to running the show, in my old job. I suspect that in time I would want to make my own decisions on how to deal with my class, rather than carry out someone else’s instructions. I can already see ways I would want change up the teaching/approach for some children who are struggling. I am acutely aware that teachers just don’t have time to individualise the curriculum for 30 kids though, so I’m aware I might be looking at this from the 6-8 kids I currently take responsibility for in lessons and the ability to do this with a whole class might be much more limited.

i really love being with kids, I value education, I’m a good ‘teacher’ - as in I love to explain things simply and differently to children (or in my old role, to adults too).

Teachers - am I mad? I know too well how hard the job is these days. The primary curriculum here is crazy complicated. The breadth of ability and need is jaw dropping. But I truly believe in state education being a passport to a better life and would love to be part of that.

or do I just take the TA role, qualify up as much as I can in TA courses and accept I’ll be minimum wage forever but trying to make a difference?

important point: I have kids, so want to work part time. And train part time too. I know there are options for this but it will be competitive (I have top grades academically which I think might help). If I do a part time pgce, could I do my first year as a newly qualified teacher part time or is that not an option?

I don’t underestimate what a massive, difficult, demanding and at times (currently) desperately frustrating role teaching is. Am I too old for such a huge challenge? I’d love some wisdom from teachers and ex teachers please.

Quite. If you're used to running a company where, essentially, the measure of success is mainly that it makes money, maybe a school is not what you ought to be in charge of.

Hi, I am of a similar age and am halfway through my training. I love it! I had a very different and stressful career previously which I left when my children were young. I subsequently volunteered as a TA, was then employed as one for a couple of years and am now undertaking a teaching apprenticeship (one year course and I am paid as I train). It's hard work but I find it really interesting and love the challenge. I should add that I am lucky to have a really supportive mentor and work at a lovely school, this makes a huge difference!

by saying you had a very stressful career before you suggest teaching isn’t that stressful. All the research shows it’s one of the most stressful careers there is. People (like the OP) who burned out in other careers will find teaching massively difficult.

Depends why you found previous career stressful?

I am happy to be around lots of people all day and like teenagers.

I massively disliked working at home or in an office on my own, which I did a lot pre teaching.

I taught primary for seven years and loved it. Chose my schools carefully by doing supply and finding a good match. Have been out of the classroom for 10 years and my dream is to return. Unfortunately I couldn’t pay our mortgage etc. on a teacher salary. Currently have a senior leadership job in tech. I’m planning to go back to teaching once we’ve paid off our mortgage, think I’ll be about 50 when I finally manage to do this.

ETA: Do it OP! Kids will be lucky to have you!

@cardibach

Yes, but OP worked in law and made partner. I don't know where she worked, but I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that she might be quite a tough cookie - in some areas in city law for example, you are ALWAYS available around the clock, will often be working even on holiday (so many friends have packed their partner and kids off to the beach and spent practically the whole holiday on a laptop in a hotel room), have very little control over your schedule and might have to do all nighters several times in a week in busy times. On top of which, if you make a mistake or overlook something when overtired, you might end up costing someone a lot of money. There have been a few suicides in city law due to overwork.

I'm not saying law is more stressful than teaching for everyone - law jobs and teaching jobs vary hugely, just that it's not fair to assume teaching will be more stressful for all. I think sometimes on here there are teachers who assume that others don't understand what it is like to have a very stressful job, when many of us do - it's just which stresses people are equipped to cope with or not (for me, the inability to control my hours and be "off duty" was a huge factor for leaving law in my 30s even though it didn't bother me in my 20s so much, but I didn't experience the Type A burnout that is very common amongst lawyers. I absolutely couldn't be a teacher, because I am an introvert and probably neurodiverse and couldn't handle the amount of face time required without burning out very quickly. But I know others who couldn't have done the city job but have been teaching very successfully for years).

Oh, it’s the ‘teachers think they have the worst job in the world’ crew.
No.
But it’s acknowledged as amongst the most stressful, by, for eg, life insurance companies.
If you burnt out in one stressful profession, joining another seems foolish.

If you burnt out in one stressful profession, joining another seems foolish.

Absolutely!

Foostit · Today 02:07

cardibach · Yesterday 20:48
Many of us who have left teaching were amazing teachers. It still destroyed us. Being amazing isn’t enough. It’s an undoable job.

Exactly! I find the ‘obviously couldn’t hack it’, ‘weren’t good enough’, ‘not up to the job’ etc narrative deeply offensive and insulting. If you actually look at the number of teachers who have left and the hundreds of thousands looking to leave at the moment then you will see that the problem is not the teachers’ abilities or suitability. Performance management in teaching is up there with the toughest of occupations. The chances of a teacher who has taught for 20, 10 or even 5 years not being up to the job are virtually non existent.
We all started off full of enthusiasm, I must have been an alright teacher because I won awards in three separate schools and my practice was judged to be sector leading in one school.
I left because I was bullied by SLT, subjected to terrible behaviour and not supported, blamed after an unprovoked attack from a student and generally made to feel like shit. I was one of many treated this badly in each of the last 3 schools I worked in.
Saying that good quality teachers are needed is offensive and insinuating that the rest of us must have been shit!
Its not the quality of staff that needs to change, its the behaviour of the management, an overhaul on bullshit behaviour strategies such as restorative approaches and a reduction in workload.

Thank you for the honest and terrifying exposé of the reality of teaching. The kids in state schools can be a right handful...I did long term cover for the fourth specialist teacher in 2 years at a certain high school near the bottom of the national league tables...my predecessors had been driven out, one actually in an ambulance, suffering a total breakdown, the kids gleefully told me. Private schools are absolutely the worst for bullying and petty jealousies, it seems. Anyone with an imaginative and inspirational approach is slapped down hard. Head teachers, frequently masquerading as men/women of God can be vindictive, malevolent, underhand, utterly unconcerned about their staff. English prep schools can be nests of vipers, making outstanding teaching impossible. I was driven out by overwork and bullying; books hidden in the staffroom, staffroom pigeonhole rifled, sniggering, being sent to coventry. Kids were lovely, parents were lovely, Common Entrance exam results outstanding...(some) staff were shit.

I’m going to say do it… you’ll always have ‘what if’ moments if you don’t however, I would say do it with your eyes open. I’ve not read all of your updates - just the earlier ones and you sound beautifully idealistic. I retrained and entered primary teaching at the age of 36 - I’ve been teaching 8 years now, and teach the type of children you wish to work with. I work in a very deprived school, in a very deprived area.

I don’t regret my career change and love my actual job (the teaching children part). But everything else that comes with it makes the job extremely difficult and I had to adapt my expectations very early. You aren’t going to make big culture changes. As a class teacher, you aren’t going to change the landscape of teaching, even on a school level. The system is broken and you’re fighting fires at all angles… internal politics, external politics, there’s no money, multi-agency services (speech, SEND Support, behaviour services, mental health services to name a few) have such long waiting lists and you’ll be held accountable for progress for every single child even if their needs require external support. There is never enough time (even more so for part time teachers who have to fit in expectations in less time, for less pay) and even if you have fantastic ideas, you’ll often not be allowed to implement them because policies and rules mean that you have to follow specific systems. This is particularly true of MAT’s where consistency is often strongly valued.

What you will be able to do though, is change the lives of the individual children in your care. You can’t change the big things but the small things count so much. You’ll do this by building relationships, talking to them and loving them. You’ll know about their lives - you’ll know those that have it tough at home, those that don’t have breakfast and those that find school tough. And you’ll be an advocate for those children.

That is the single reason I love my job. Because I know that my children know I will do anything in my power to help them succeed and be happy.

I just wish I had more power.

To really make a difference, you don’t just bulk plan at the start and use it for years on end. All planning needs to be adapted and adjusted for the cohort of children that you have.
I think you are underestimating how long planning can take at the start of your career too.

I’ve not read the full thread but you seem to have asked for advice and opinions and then have questioned what everyone has said rather than taken their word for it.

You undoubtedly have lots of life experiences but this is coming from people with experience doing the job.

If you want to retrain, retrain. But please remember that you are likely to have colleagues who’ve been doing it for a long time (many of whom will be much younger than you) and they will have invaluable knowledge, skills and advice to pass on.

There is also not the autonomy that you appear to assume that you will get. In the school I work at, expectations are set by policies, subject coordinators and SLT.

I would go for it, you’re not going into it with your eyes closed xx Have you thought about working in a special school? It’s so rewarding, classes of under 10 usually. Sen, semh , medical issues- a mature approach would be v beneficial xx good luck 🤞 x

I'd encourage working in special ed, too @MyPearlCrow . I loved it. It's an area where you really can make a difference, not just to the kids, but to their parents and siblings lives (at least if you work in a school where that flexibility is encouraged/allowed).

Things you like about small group teaching are the things that are rewarding about teaching in special schools.

I was lucky that my school was well staffed. I never had more than 8 children in my class, and I'd usually have three TAs. So the teamwork was a big thing.

The downside at your age? It's very physical and you can get hurt. I retired a couple of years earlier than intended, because my body just wasn't bouncing back easily any more, and I was concerned that the next injury could be the one that might put paid to my retirement plans.

But it is a great job, and you're spared exam and testing stress.

An example from secondary teaching.
You have three yr 7 classes, you are going to teach them the same thing.
Each class has to have the lesson styled towards those is the class.
Class 1 low ability high levels of SEND
Class 2 Mixed ability (low to high) some SEND mainly high functioning, some sensory issues.
Class 3 Mixed ability (mid to high), some gifted pupils.

The content for the lesson remains the same.
Class 1 will work at a slower rate, Might have a TA, Needs a 1-1 but doesn't have it.

Class 3 A faster rate but will get bored easily but has to have a solid knowledge base before moving on. will require extension work. and work that has a range.
Class 2 some work at a slow rate others faster, you need to keep the low ability pupils within range whilst keeping the higher end extended, with the additional bonus of manging the behaviour so that the pupil's with sensory issues can keep up.

As the year progresses class one will fall further behind, class 3 will sprint ahead.
Constant planning against the needs of the pupils in the class.
You get the idea.

Of course I’m questioning everything, I’m gathering information so I can make a decision? I I’ve been told 50 per cent of teachers want to leave, which means 50 per cent don’t. I want to know about both sides of the story.

I think I may have said I burned out. That’s not quite right. I became disillusioned is probably a better word. I am aware that I’m looking at 10 years, 15 max, so my time would be limited anyway which I think helps, psychologically.

the extensive info on planning from many posters is extremely useful, thank you. It all makes total sense but I wouldn’t have known what exactly was involved had I not asked. I’m not sure any non-teachers would, it’s hidden work that only the teacher sees. Must be frustrating.

also considering the special school suggestions too - thank you. Would training/PGCE be different for that specialty?

Sorry, previous reply was to you.

More than 50% - and not just wanting to leave, planning to leave soon.

I would say it’s closer to 70%
Exit the Classroom Group on Facebook currently has 175.5K members!
A large proportion of my friends are teachers, I know lots of teachers from my time teaching and I would struggle to name 10 out of the hundreds who don’t want to leave!

also considering the special school suggestions too - thank you. Would training/PGCE be different for that specialty?

I'm not up to date with training, but certainly it wasn't up to the point that I retired. No-one at my school had trained specifically for special ed. I already intended going into special ed, but felt that I should learn to teach first. So I did three years in mainstream first. But my colleagues who went straight into the sector were all very good, so it's not vital.

Being a TA in a special school would be a great way to get a picture of how teaching works in the sector. It's very different. And you'd pick up skills and learning along the way. Maybe learn Makaton and use of symbols too. All of that, plus seeing how planning and communication works, would give you a much better start if that's the way you go.

At least three of our TAs did that, then did teacher training and taught either in or school or others like it in our LA.

OP do it.
I have friends in teaching who love it. One is a close friend who retrained in her forties. I was worried about how she would manage, but she loves it.
From the friends who enjoy teaching they all say choose the school you work in carefully. None are perfectionists, perfectionists do not seem to do well as teachers as the work can be never ending. The happiest teacher I know has very strong boundaries and is realistic about what he cam achieve.

Just do it because you seem determined.

I remember reading that the average “life expectancy” of a teacher is 5 years. I knew from my first placement at uni that I had made a mistake but felt I was railroading to the point of no return.

I'm sure the last survey I read, 75-85% wanted to leave. Doesn't mean everyone can, or will - you have intertia and the money trap to consider. I still mostly love teaching, but on the days I've considered leaving I had to confront the fact that I couldn't take the drop in salary now I'm on the leadership scale. So we end up moving from school to school in the hope that one will turn out better.

Getting and maintaining jobs in education is something else, too. Applications are long-winded, job interviews a full day of scrutiny (as opposed to the one hour one of my children did before getting a job), and you're expected to accept a job without consideration time and before knowing your full terms and conditions.

You're not allowed to be off sick despite working with germ spreaders (and if you are, you are expected to leave detailed lesson plans or ideally lesson slides complete with voiceover), and heaven help you if you ever need time off for personal or childcare reasons. One head I know got arsey with people who had hospital appointments - as if that's something you can choose a date and time for.

Sometimes, a mere 8 weeks to the next half-term seem like an eternity, let alone 10-15 years. And as many of us have pointed out many times over, your energy will fade as you get older, making each year seem even longer.

And back to education, no, you will be expected to complete the same training as everyone else and then specialise in your own time. My academy trust is buying into a wonderful platform with all sorts of courses we can enrol into for free. It hardly has any uptake. Why? Because none of us have the time to browse it fully, let alone actually complete a course. I could do one this half-term, only I have a list as long as my arm of other things which take priority.

Since you have kids, you'll also do all appointments during the holidays because you cannot do them term-time (for us this week it's the dentist, the optician's and foot measurements for new school shoes), so by the time you've actually spent some quality time with your kids, have sorted out the bombsite your house will have turned into, and have caught up on the work you didn't have time for the last half-term, you're back at work.

I love teaching, I really do, despite all the huge challenges it comes with. I don't think you're particularly willing to listen to the many people on here who have told you what it's like. So the only way for you to find out is to start your teacher training and find out by year 4 (after PGCE and ECT years, when you will be on a full timetable without any support) what the full job entails.

I’m really confused as to why people think I’m not listening. I’m still here, of course I am. Asking questions and not saying ‘no way then’ immediately doesn’t mean I’m not listening. I can see it’s hard, but I come from a tough field too so I’m listening and thinking and I’m weighing up the pros and cons as I go.

The difference for me is that I am fully invested in education in a way I probably wasn’t in law. In the classroom, I feel at home in a way I definitely didn’t in law. And I know only too well the difference good educators can make, especially to disadvantaged groups. I want to be a part of that - I wouldn’t have asked otherwise - so my queries and probing are really normal I think? Doesn’t mean I’m not taking it in and I’m grateful to everyone who has taken the time to give me such a wide range of helpful responses.

@ThrallsWife
So true! I was teaching full time from the day my youngest started school until after they finished uni. I had forgotten about half terms being spent with medical appointments etc, I used to be too exhausted to do much for the first 2 days, had appointments for another 1/2 days, at least one day of school work on another which left me with a day maximum. Whereas in my current role, I am allowed to go to appointments in work time so my two days off this week can actually be spent relaxing. The only holiday that ever felt like a holiday was the summer break and that was definitely needed!

@MyPearlCrow It’s lovely that you want to make a difference to disadvantaged kids. I used to think I was doing that. In reality judging from the way the student’s lives have turned out, I actually made very little difference. Obviously there are a few exceptions but it is a romanticised view that rarely happens in reality. Realising this was a part of what made me decide to quit. You’re a lot more limited in the impact you can make than you might think. I would say you’re making more of a difference in law. As a teacher, you’re such a small part of a child’s overall educational journey and definitely their lives.